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Specifications

Expert's Rating

OVERALL

FEATURES

VALUE FOR MONEY

Price when reviewed

£150 inc VAT

As can be discerned from the name, the 9800 GTX+ OC is a slightly enhanced version of the 9800 GTX graphics card.

The original 9800 was itself a tilt on the familiar G92 range - the technology found in the now positively mediaeval 8800 GT and GTS 512 cards. So what distinguishes the BFG GeForce 9800 GTX+ OC+ from the GTX?

The essential difference is that the GTX+ is smaller - created using the 55nm rather than the now rather unwieldy 65nm process employed for the GTX. As a result, the BFG GeForce 9800 GTX+ OC enjoys improved speeds.

This is especially so since this GTX+, the BFG GeForce 9800 GTX+ OC, is itself a slightly overclocked version, with the core clock speed raised from 675MHz to 760MHz. Less impressively, the memory clock speed has climbed from 1100MHz (2200MHz DDR effective) to just 1125MHz (2250MHz DDR).

Since the 9800 GTX+ retains the 256-bit memory interface, this means that memory bandwidth has moved from 70.4GBps to an only marginally higher figure of 72GBps. So the BFG GeForce 9800 GTX+ OC does have a little more wiggle room when dealing with complex in-game graphics, but only slightly more.

These figures seem even less impressive when compared with those of PNY's overclocked PNY GeForce 9800 GTX OC XLR8. Although since this card still costs in excess of £200, the BFG GeForce 9800 GTX+ OC is a far more viable alternative.

The BFG GeForce 9800 GTX+ OC misses out on some of the nods to the future offered by newer nVidia cards, but there are still some nice features packaged within. The three-way SLI works really well at this price point, and while supportive motherboards are still tricky to get, the prospect of three cards working together is a mouth-watering prospect.

It's really the price that makes the BFG GeForce 9800 GTX+ OC an interesting card. While it doesn't quite match ATI's HD 4870, it does run it quite close on some occasions, rarely more than 2-5fps behind. This is very good for a card costing some £25 or so less. And it's significantly better than the HD 4850, outstripping it in almost every test, and costs only around £12 more.

BFG GeForce 9800 GTX plus OC: Specs

nVidia GeForce 9800 GTX+

512MB GDDR3

760MHz Core Clock

1,125MHz Memory Clock (2,250MHz DDR effective)

400MHz Ramdac

256bit memory interface

128 stream processors

PCI-E Interface

TV Out/Video In yes/no

DirectX 10.0

DVI

2-year warranty

nVidia GeForce 9800 GTX+

512MB GDDR3

760MHz Core Clock

1,125MHz Memory Clock (2,250MHz DDR effective)

400MHz Ramdac

256bit memory interface

128 stream processors

PCI-E Interface

TV Out/Video In yes/no

DirectX 10.0

DVI

2-year warranty

OUR VERDICT

There really isn’t much revolutionary about the 9800 GTX+. Neither is it likely to be around for much longer. However, its price is currently very competitive, and for those looking for a great graphics card at the £150 level, or for something that can be run in a three-way SLI system, the BFG GeForce 9800 GTX+ OC is a strong choice.